2. table of Contents
3 Forward - A Letter from Jim Cook
5 Challenges for Today’s Youth
6 Focused. Centered. Ready to Serve.
8 Better Prospects, Thanks to Better Health
10 Empowered by Education
12 Leveraging the Power of Leadership
14 A Hands-on Approach with Signature Programs
18 Partnerships that Foster Potential
20 Summing up Our Graduate Survey
21 Final Outcomes and Future Opportunities
www.children.org
3. Rich with Potential
There is something extremely exciting about seeing a young person
begin to realize his or her potential. It’s that pivotal point when the
possibilities of a brighter future dawn on the individual – and it’s
wonderful to behold!
That’s the feeling I had as I reviewed the results in this Youth Report
Card. Children International youth have been leading up to a point
where they possess the skills, traits and confidence to pursue a life
unburdened by poverty.
Ninety percent of the world’s youth live in developing countries,
and those youth are more vulnerable to unemployment and poverty,
according to the Interational Labour Organization. Impoverished youth
too often lack the education or experience to obtain and keep a job,
thereby compounding the cycle of poverty in their countries.
Our youth need all the preparation and training our programs
provide in order to compete in the current job market, and I take
tremendous pride in the fact that we offer them opportunities for
personal enrichment, educational support, job-skills training and
building exemplary leadership abilities.
It’s my dream that each and every one of the youth we support
will live a rich, fulfilling life. And that dream is shared by Children
International’s generous contributors, who make it possible for these
youth to strive for a better way of life – one that can surely become
a reality.
Thank you for taking an interest in these young men and women.
With your guidance and support, they can certainly gain the skills and
confidence to believe in themselves and break their way out of poverty.
Our youth are rich with potential, and I believe the results of the
Youth Report Card confirm that. I hope you find the outcomes within
as encouraging as I do!
Sincerely,
Jim Cook
President
www.children.org Page 3
5. Challenges for Today’s Youth
There are 1.2 billion adolescents • One-third of all new HIV cases
between the ages of 10 and 19 in the worldwide involve youth aged
world today. Of those, 9 out of 10 live in 15 to 24.
the developing world.
• One in every three girls in the
A closer look reveals that the developing world gets married
overwhelming majority of young people before the age of 18.
are growing up in communities that
fail to provide many essential services, “Adopting a life-cycle approach to child
Challenges
let alone opportunities for security and development, with greater attention given
success. Too many youth are being to care, empowerment and protection
deprived of quality education, adequate of adolescents…is the soundest way to
health care and safe, constructive break the intergenerational transmission
environments in which they can thrive of poverty,” UNICEF recommends.
and excel.
Children International’s Youth Program
Growing up in unstable communities is designed to do precisely that. It builds
with few prospects for the future, youth on the personal progress young men
are more susceptible to substance and women have achieved as a result
abuse, gang participation, absenteeism of medical, educational and material
from school, and early pregnancy and support and equips them with the
marriage. What hope does that spell for additional life skills they need to rise
the future of our world? above poverty and make successful
transitions into adulthood.
The challenges today’s youth face have
been further compounded by economic As the global population of impoverished
strains on the global economy, making it youth continues to grow and encounters
increasingly difficult for young men and unforeseen challenges, increased support
women in developing countries to break of Children International’s Youth Program
free from dire poverty. Judging by key will ensure that both current and future
indicators in UNICEF’s 2011 State of the generations can avail of life-changing
World’s Children report, the odds don’t opportunities no matter how dire their
look promising: circumstances. Because youth who are
capable, confident and productive not
• Half of all young people in the only strengthen their communities, they
world do not attend secondary enrich the world as well.
school at the appropriate age.
• A quarter of the world’s working
poor is aged 15 to 24. Meanwhile,
81 million older youth who are
eligible and willing to work remain
unemployed.
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6. Children International Youth:
Focused. Centered. Ready to Serve.
At the end of 2010, a total of 149,231 youth ages 12 to 19 were receiving support
from Children International. Those young men and women represent 11 countries,
including Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras,
India, Mexico, the Philippines, Zambia and the United States. We believe each youth
has a valuable role to play in society.
As soon as boys and girls reach the age of 12, they are invited to join our Youth Program
and begin acquiring essential life skills. The program is designed to enhance their
self-awareness, social and leadership skills, project-management abilities, community
involvement and more. The programs they can take advantage of are wide-ranging:
Youth Health Corps
Utilizes peer-to-peer health training to educate youth and members of their
community about preventable diseases, sexual and reproductive health, substance
abuse and early pregnancies. (See p. 9)
The HOPE Scholarship Fund
Awards scholarships to qualified youth who need help covering costs for secondary
school, vocational training or higher education. (See p.11)
Youth Leadership Training
Offers hands-on training to help youth develop skills such as interpersonal
communication, decision making, conflict resolution, critical thinking, problem
solving and civic participation. (See p. 12)
Youth Councils and the Youth Empowerment Fund
Gives youth a chance to democratically elect their own representatives to better
address issues that affect them and grants them the authority to use resources in ways
that directly improve their lives and communities. (See p. 12)
Game On! and Into Employment
Game On! Youth Sports™ fosters better health and team-building and conflict-
resolution skills through organized sports leagues; while Into Employment equips
youth with networking and job skills in areas such as information technology,
hospitality services and more. (See pp. 14-16)
Each year, as our youth participants near graduation, we ask them to fill out a survey to
measure the effectiveness of our programs as well as the overall impact of the benefits
they’ve received. We’re proud to report that 12,394 graduating youth completed our
our latest Graduate Survey – the largest number of participants to date.
The pages that follow highlight data from that survey and illustrate the many ways our
Youth Program is significantly improving the lives of impoverished youth worldwide.
Page 6 6 www.children.org
7. “My Dream...to Improve Our Society”
Edwin Armijos – Ecuador
“My name is Edwin Hernan Armijos, and
I am 18 years old. I have been part of the
Children International program since I was
3 years old, so I have had the chance to
participate in different activities developed
In His Words
by the organization.
I live with my parents, and like many
families in my community, we have to face
many dangers...for example, the violence
that threatens my neighborhood. My father
works as a messenger and my mother as
a maid. They have always reminded me
about the importance of education and to
be ready for the future.
I have been part of the leadership group for
three years and that has helped me become
an individual who generates change in the community. I work with other youth to
do many activities – youth who participate in the Youth Health Corps and others
who have vision for the future.
The Youth Health Corps has helped me and hundreds of youth understand
the responsibility of being parents at an early age. We have learned about the
importance of preventing sexually transmitted diseases – that is to say, we have
learned to live responsibly.
Nowadays, I am in the third level of computer engineering, and I work as a
community teacher at night. I help the elderly finish their primary school studies.
Training to be a teacher was one of the many valuable things I learned from
Children International.
Thanks to the organization, I have learned the importance of being an agent of
change in my community. I am aware that finishing my career is a big step in my
life. I am working hard to get good grades, and I hope to have a good future in
order to have my own business fixing computers. I want to give jobs and help other
families with that.
In the future, I want to make sure that more youth get involved in the activities of
Children International to take advantage of them the same way I did. My dream
is that other children and youth will recognize the opportunities provided by the
organization in order to improve our society in the future.”
Page 7
8. Better Prospects, Thanks to Better Health
In the developing world, a young person’s prospects for success depend largely upon
his or her ability to stay healthy. One untreated injury or illness could be all it takes to
impair physical and cognitive development, interrupt or halt school attendance, and
cause long-term financial distress.
The unfortunate reality, though, is that most impoverished youth reside in communities
that lack adequate medical facilities. Public health clinics are few and far between,
and those that do exist are typically underfunded, overcrowded and understaffed.
Health
Then there’s the issue of medicine. Even if a youth manages to see a doctor, those who
live in extreme poverty (currently defined by the World Bank as $1.25 a day or less)
seldom can afford to pay for the medicine required for recovery.
As a result, young people tend to avoid health care services. Many fail to receive
preventive care, potentially compounding health risks later in life. According to the
World Health Organization, “Nearly two-thirds of premature deaths and one-third of the
total disease burden in adults are associated with conditions or behaviors that began in
their youth.”
Care They Can Count On
Children International provides free basic medical care and medicine so youth can
maintain and improve their health. Our medical clinics are situated in or near their
communities, allowing us to offer timely access to treatment, while partnerships
with public and private health providers make it possible to arrange specialized and
emergency care as necessary.
Beyond that, we offer health-education workshops and training to participants and
their parents on an array of health topics, ranging from good nutrition, safe hygiene and
sanitary practices, to the prevention and control of communicable diseases.
Youth who want to share their knowledge and training throughout their communities
are invited to join our Youth Health Corps and become peer educators. They’re
equipped with the skills they need to educate other adolescents on topics such as
sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, substance
abuse and early pregnancy. 71% of
participating
By the time youth graduate from our program, all youth believe they
indicators suggest they are capable of leading are healthier
healthier, more productive lives. Among those youth
who took our 2010 Graduate Survey, 71 percent
believe they are healthier as a result of the program.
And nearly as many believe they have the ability
to stay healthier than youth who were not part of
the program.
Page 8 www.children.org
9. Youth Health Corps A Closer Look at the Youth Health Corps
Last year, we trained 2,037 youth participated in our Youth Health
as peer educators. Those youth then Corps (YHC) developed a much better
shared valuable health messages with understanding of HIV through peer
139,740 peer contacts during classroom education.
presentations, one-to-one chats and
community theater skits. At the start of 2010, only 43.5 percent
of program participants could identify at
Spreading awareness and clarifying least two ways of preventing the sexual
misconceptions about major health transmission of HIV while rejecting at
topics is crucial to curtailing devastating least two misconceptions about the virus.
diseases like HIV. The World Health However by the end of the program,
Organization (WHO) estimates that 91.4 percent could do so. That’s a
2,500 youth worldwide get infected substantial achievement in communities
with HIV every day. where the stigma of HIV has the power to
silence any and all discussion.
The WHO further reports that only 30
percent of young men and 19 percent
of young women have the knowledge
they need to protect themselves against
the virus. By comparison, youth who
Peer Perspective
“Being an adolescent girl in a village, increased very
I had to be very careful in the way much after
that I behaved so that I would not be this training. I
considered promiscuous by others in the feel that I will
village. Around this time, I heard of the need these
YHC training and felt that it was needed qualities in the
by everyone, so I joined…. future, too,
when I move
Once I became a peer educator and forward on life’s
started learning about sexual and path. More so
reproductive health, I would visit because it is my
libraries and learn more about the topics, aim to spread
then I would disseminate this knowledge all that I have Mina Khamaru, India
among my friends. learnt among Career Goal: Doctor
people living
As a peer educator...I have now become around me. This, I believe, will lead
a more patient person and can listen people to becoming more aware
to someone else more patiently than I of health issues and bring about
could earlier. Also, my confidence has a positive change in the environment.”
Page 9
10. Empowered by Education
Global access to primary education has world. Only six years of schooling are
steadily improved over the years, and yet, mandatory for children ages 7 and up, but less
enrollment sharply declines as children get than half of all children actually complete the
older. UNICEF reports that nearly half the full six years and less than one-third advance
Education
world’s youth don’t attend secondary school to secondary school.
at the appropriate age. Current estimates put
the number of out-of-school youth as high as Many of those young people leave school to
70 million, and over half of those are girls. work and help their families earn an income.
The need for food and other necessities simply
Educational outcomes in Honduras, as supersedes school, which doesn’t necessarily
reported by our agency there, offer a glimpse yield better job prospects in impoverished
at academic challenges in the developing communities.
A Study in Progress
Our educational programs help alleviate In fact, over 95 percent of all participating
the burdens impoverished families face and children and youth reported that they had
promote school completion by providing enrolled and passed the previous school
school supplies, fees and other support. year. Likewise, our Graduate Survey suggests
As youth near graduation, our HOPE Fund that active participation in our Youth Program
provides scholarships to qualified youth promotes higher education.
so they can advance their studies or get
vocational training.
Active participation increased the likelihood that youth
attended a 1-4 year college or technical course
Active Participants
Non Participants
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
• 89 percent rated the education support they received as good or excellent.
• 69 percent claim to have more schooling as a result of our programs.
• 77 percent of those who frequently participate in programs state they are
more likely to complete high school.
Page 10 www.children.org
11. Hope for the Future Lessons Learned from HOPE
Since we launched our HOPE Fund At the time this report was compiled,
in 2005, we’ve awarded nearly 8,500 1,777 HOPE scholarships had been
scholarships to help disadvantaged youth awarded for the 2009-2010 academic
complete high school, attend universities year. Here’s a look at how those
or pursue vocational training. scholarships were applied:
HOPE stands for Helping Overcome
Poverty through Education. Scholarships
are awarded to qualified youth at Upper
the highest level of need who also Secondary
demonstrate personal initiative and a University Completion
dedication to community service. Special 26% 24%
priority is given to youth who belong to
marginalized groups, including females
and indigenous applicants. Recipients Vocational
can use their scholarship funds to cover 50%
tuition, fees, transportation, supplies and
other related costs.
HOPE in Action
The most difficult thing in all these
years of studying was always the cost.
It is assumed that education is free, but
it’s not like that. The uniforms, school
supplies, and additional requirements
schools ask for are expenses that
parents can hardly ever cover. If we
do not pay, the school may not let us
continue the school year. In my case,
the most difficult thing is the cost of
transportation, because I live in a
very distant village, which is far from
everything.
Sulmy Fuentes Ramírez Thank goodness I have a HOPE
Guatemala scholarship. With the scholarship, I can
study without the pressure or insecurity
“I am 18 years old, and at present, of not knowing if I will be able to
I am doing professional training in continue studying the next month.
expert bookkeeping. I graduate this year For me, the scholarship means
and will continue at the university…. calmness, stability and safety.”
Page 11
12. Leveraging the Power of Leadership
Youth who actively participate in our programs Participating youth have more
report they are more likely to have confidence confidence in terms of leadership,
in their leadership skills compared to those goal setting, problem solving and
who never participate. They, in turn, utilize supporting themselves
Leadership
those skills in their communities during civic-
minded activities which they organize and
implement.
The three main programs which help instill
87%
leadership abilities in our youth are: participating youth
Youth Leadership Training
Participants learn critical skills like 13% not
communication, problem solving and supported
decision-making, with the goal of sharing by CI
their knowledge and improving community
organization and development. Training
culminates in service projects like community
clean-up initiatives and awareness campaigns.
Last year, youth participants conducted 674
community-service projects.
Empowerment by
Youth Councils
In 2010, 3,388 youth participated in Youth
Example
Councils at our 17 agencies around the world. One of the most notable Youth
The youth elect representatives to advocate on Empowerment Fund projects was carried
their behalf within the agency, while council out by 100 youth in Kanyama, Zambia,
members gain valuable life skills and conduct who used $5,000 to construct six
volunteer efforts and community outreach. waterborne toilets at the public health
They’re also tasked with managing the Youth clinic in their community.
Empowerment Fund.
The public clinic had closed its only
Youth Empowerment Fund two outpatient pit latrines after a cholera
Children International allocates annual outbreak in 2009, leaving an estimated
funds which Youth Councils use to alleviate 3,000 patients a day without on-site
problems in their communities. Under the access to a sanitary facility.
guidance of agency staff, participants identify
projects, create project proposals, then plan “This is the first time the community has
and implement the projects. come together to build a structure at the
clinic to assist patients,” said the clinic’s
Last year, 68,792 youth joined in activities director, Sister Njovu. “If this is the type
affiliated with the Youth Councils and the of thinking the youth will bring when they
Youth Empowerment Fund. They carried out become leaders, then we are assured a
89 projects at a total cost of $277,231, or bright future.”
an average of $3,115 per project.
Page 12 www.children.org
13. A Leader at Work
hunger in Arkansas) with the North
Little Rock Youth Council. We did this
by having a rock concert and a silent
auction, where we sold paintings, a
jacket autographed by American Idol
In Her Words
winner Kris Allen, dinner tickets, hotel
accommodations and other items. And
I helped a single mom who is working
full-time and going to school full-time.
She’s going to school at the University of
Arkansas at Little Rock and majoring in
social work.
The most exciting project to date is the
Our House Youth Kitchen Makeover.
(Youth identify a disadvantaged family
“My name is LaKimmy, and I’m the struggling with poor nutrition and use
current president of the 2010-2011 proceeds from the Youth Empowerment
Children International–UALR Youth Fund to furnish them with an adequate
Council. I’ve been a member of Children kitchen.) It’s been exciting because I
International for several years and have have always wanted to help someone
learned a great deal from leadership redo their kitchen – and this is for a great
training. cause!
My leadership work with Children I think that my leadership experiences
International has inspired me to branch will guide me through the journeys to
out and serve my community in many come. I know it will be difficult once I
ways. For example, I am raising money to graduate from high school and I am on
help children suffering from cleft palates. my own. I will need to lead myself and
continue to be a leader for others in order
I have also helped raise $1,500 for Rice to prosper in the future.”
Depot (an organization that alleviates
84 percent of surveyed youth rated our
leadership training as good or excellent
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
Poor Fair Good Excellent
Page 13
14. A Hands-on Approach with Signature Programs
All the ambition in the world won’t help a young woman achieve success if she’s
unable to negotiate threats to her health and safety in her destitute community.
Neither will a perfect grade-point average ensure there will be food on the table
of a young man who must work to help feed his family.
Game On!
In addition to intellectual and psychological development, impoverished youth
require physical skills and training in order to improve their opportunities
for success. That’s why we helped implement Game On! Youth Sports™ – in
partnership with the International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS) – and Into
Employment. The two programs equip youth with physical, social and job skills
to help them confront their challenges and better compete for limited job openings
or academic admissions.
Among the youth who participate in six or more
program activities, 71 percent believe they have
more ability to reach their goals than youth who
are not supported by Children International.
Getting into the Game
“Game On! is about more than sports. It’s about teaching skills and values that
can help give children and young people the edge they need to get ahead in life,”
says Dan Phelan, the campaign chairman who helped launch the community
sports program.
Game On! provides a tried-and-true method of motivating young people,
including those who typically shun educational programs and may be drawn
to drug abuse, gang influence, early marriage and pregnancy. Organized sports
leagues and activities teach youth the value of teamwork, conflict resolution,
respect for authority, performance under pressure and other qualities that promote
personal and social responsibility.
Participatory athletics help strengthen communities, as well, by building social
networks and unifying members of the community to strive toward common
goals. Parents, teachers and youth volunteers alike receive specialized training
and become reliable role models in neighborhoods where positive influences are
sometimes few and far between.
Our goal is to expand the program to include over 7,500 youth in nine countries
by 2015.
Page 14 www.children.org
15. Like a True Pro
A hot, dusty barrio outside Guadalajara, While visiting our agency in Mexico, Hannah
Mexico, is the last place you might expect to also had the chance to try out her soccer
find a U.S. snowboarding champion, but that’s skills during a Game On! event and then give
precisely where two-time Olympic medalist participants a pep talk about training hard to
Hannah Teter went this past year to check out achieve success. Alongside Hannah, pitching
our programs. in some extra advice, were her good friends
and fellow Children International supporters,
Hannah is the perfect example of how snowboarding teammate Gabi Viteri and
athletics can help mold a young person into a Nike-endorsed surfer Monyca Byrne-Wickey.
dedicated, driven and conscientious individual
who gives back to society. Besides sponsoring We’re honored to have Hannah, Gabi and
children since 2007, she donates a percentage Monyca as role models for our youth. All three
of the proceeds from her clothing line to are proof that, with the right support, any child
help feed malnourished children through our can rise to the top.
nutrition program.
www.children.org
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16. Employment Opened Doors, Into Employment
“No poor child dreams of growing up to highly demanded in their communities. They
become a street vendor, a field hand or a develop skills in areas such as information
maid,” Gordon Bailey, the chairman of our technology, hospitality services, welding and
Into Employment program, points out. “They automotive repair. Youth also learn soft skills
don’t work hard to get good grades in school – like interpersonal and written communication,
and their families don’t make enormous computer literacy, customer service, time
sacrifices to keep them there – just so they end management and financial literacy to fully
up washing clothes for pennies a day.” prepare them for the workplace.
Gordon’s sentiments echo a growing concern “Pointed in the right direction and given a
in the developing world: young people, even few important tools, smart, capable youth can
those who are educated, lack the specialized ignite their potential and make something of
skills to obtain jobs in the modern global themselves,” Gordon concludes.
economy. As a result, it’s estimated that 81
million youth who are seeking work remain Increased financial support for Into
unemployed. Employment would enable us to train at least
10,500 youth of legal working age by 2015.
We started offering Into Employment, in That could lead to thousands of open doors to
conjunction with a group called Aide et gainful employment for disadvantaged youth…
Action International, to give impoverished and many more opportunities to shut the door
youth employable skills for trades that are on poverty for future generations.
72% of the graduating youth we surveyed said they are
interested in jobs which require further training or education.
99% said they know what they have to do to get the job they
want.
Page 16 www.children.org
17. The Odds of Employment
In countries like the Philippines, which is home
to almost 20 million adolescents between the 95%
have one or more job
ages of 10 and 19, higher education is often
skills upon graduation
unobtainable. Admission to universities is very
competitive, as well, forcing even the brightest,
most studious youth to seek out jobs before
they possess adequate skills and training.
Youth who do find jobs are likely to become
78%
rated our job skills
underemployed and therefore unable to training as good or
improve their circumstances. Or they simply excellent
remain unemployed. The International Labour
Organization reports that youth are three times
more likely be unemployed than adults.
89%
By contrast, youth who participate in Into believe they have an
Employment and our other enrichment increased likelihood
of a better future
programs gain skills they can immediately
put to their advantage.
“The First Step Toward My Dreams”
“Hi, I’m Patrick sure that I manage my time wisely. Studying
Borbe, a youth comes first, then helping out at home.
from San Miguel
Island in the I chose a course in consumer electronics
Philippines. I because I want to learn how to repair
come from a poor household appliances and other electronic
family, and my gadgets. I find it very interesting, and it is a
parents cannot step toward realizing my dream of having a
afford to send me repair shop someday. From our trainings, I
to school. That have learned how to make a power supply
is why Children and radio, repair cellular phones and more.
International’s
Into Employment What I like about this training is that they
program is a big also assist us in finding a job. Getting a
blessing for me. job is important to me because, through
it, I can help my parents. That is one of my
Every day I wake up at 3:00 or 4:00 in the goals in life. Once I have a job, I could also
morning so that I will make it in time for send myself to school so that I can earn a
training on the mainland. I choose not to stay bachelor’s degree.
at a boarding house so I can still help out
when I come home at night. As one of the Into Employment is the first step toward my
older children, I help with household chores dreams. That’s why I am so thankful that I’m
and also mat weaving. To do this, I make part of it.”
www.children.org Page 17
18. Partnerships that Foster Potential
Several of the targeted programs we offer Employment program in Honduras for another
to youth are the result of generous support 14 months. The program was originally
from private foundations, charitable trusts launched with contributions from the Kellogg
and corporations. When we partner with Foundation and the Monsanto Fund.
organizations that share our humanitarian
outlook and endeavors, we have a greater “We value that teens are benefiting from this
ability to deliver a wide array of programs, program and want to improve their lives and
benefits and services that alleviate poverty and their communities,” said Jonathan Hartley,
empower youth and their communities in very President of HSBC Honduras. “By continuing
direct, lasting ways. to fund this program, we know more teens
will benefit and more communities will be
Partners like Microsoft, Citi Foundation, the improved.”
Monsanto Fund, the Kellogg Foundation, the
West Foundation, and Barclays Bank have For youth in Honduras – the second
funded programs to equip youth with job poorest country in Latin America, with an
skills, financial literacy and much more. unemployment rate of nearly 60 percent for
youth ages 15 to 24 – the continuation of the
At the end of 2010, HSBC Global Financial program means they’ll have the skills they
Services awarded a grant to fund the Into need to compete in an uncertain economy.
Children International and the
United Nations: A Joint Mission
Over the years, several of our youth have been Children International has Special Consultative
recognized by the United Nations for both Status with the Economic and Social Council
their outstanding personal achievements and of the United Nations and is associated with
commitment to improving their communities. the UN’s Department of Public Information.
In particular, they were invited to attend
international conferences, where they were Most importantly, though, our programs
asked to contribute their input on pressing directly support and further the UN’s goals
issues that affect youth around the world. That to end extreme poverty by 2015, goals that
special recognition has even helped them win include: ensuring all boys and girls complete a
additional scholarships, fellowships and job full course of primary education, and working
prospects. to promote full and productive employment
and decent work for all, including women and
Our history of supporting youth in developing young people.
countries has earned us recognition as well.
Page 18 www.children.org
20. Summing up Our Graduate Survey
After analyzing the results, it’s clear that active participation among youth leads
to positive outcomes. The survey suggests that youth who frequently take part in
our programs are using opportunities to their advantage, while those who don’t
participate are less sure of themselves and their abilities.
ACTIVE YOUTH PARTICIPANTS ARE Participants
MORE LIKELY TO SUCEED Non-participants
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Believe they Have completed Better able to Express greater
have more secondary school solve problems confidence in
ability to reach or are currently their ability to
their goals in school support themselves
financially
Even among the youth who participated in only one or two activities in the last year,
60 percent believe they have more ability to reach their goals than youth who are
not supported by Children International.
The survey also reflects positive increases over 2009 outcomes in several categories
which are critical to long-term development and self-sufficiency:
• 69 percent of active participants believed they had a greater ability to stay
healthy in 2010 versus 60 percent the year before.
• 91 percent were enrolled in or completed school in 2010 over 76 percent
the year before.
• 60 percent in 2010 versus 47.5 percent in 2009 professed a better ability to
support themselves financially in the future.
Gains like that reveal the power of participation and, in the developing world, they
represent progress over poverty.
Page 20 www.children.org
21. Final Outcomes and Future Opportunities
Opportunities
Participation in the Children International • Enhance community partnerships to better
Youth Program not only helps youth better fund and facilitate Youth Empowerment
understand themselves, it helps them realize Fund proposals
what they must do to break free from poverty
and achieve their goals in life. • Extend the Into Employment program into
every country where Children International
In the 2010 Youth Report Card, we set a works and establish a system of monitoring
goal of increasing the percentage of youth their progress.
who participate in our Youth Program
from what was then 15 percent to 85 If we want youth to become self-sufficient,
percent by 2015. Over the course of last contributing members of society, we must
year alone, we observed a substantial first help them acquire the specialized skills
increase in participation, thanks mostly to they need to get the jobs demanded in their
growing support for our Game On! and Into communities. To do so requires a long-term
Employment programs. investment in their potential, and by extension,
overall global progress in our increasingly
Like any major enterprise, there is always interconnected world.
room for improvement, and we intend to
ramp up participation and the ensuing positive Children International has the infrastructure
outcomes by pursuing the following goals in and network of support in place to affect
the years ahead: positive changes in the world’s most
vulnerable youth. Our latest Graduate Survey
• Create more mentorship opportunities suggests as much. But it will require increased
between graduating youth and new funding to grow programs like our HOPE
members of the Youth Program to Scholarship Fund, Into Employment and Youth
encourage involvement Leadership Training and empower youth
with the knowledge and abilities required to
• Invest more resources in our Youth Councils succeed in today’s turbulent global economy.
to expand their outreach and foster greater
participation across communities
www.children.org Page 21
22. Ending on a Positive Note
“This is Debashis Acharye. A little here
about my past…an only child in the family,
my grandparents, an aunt and I were totally
In HIs Words
dependent on my parents’ meager resources,
which they pooled together by working as
a daily worker (that’s my father) and a maid
(my mother). Quite expected, our six-member
family saw a lot of economic hardships and
deficiencies in our everyday lives.
Despite their poverty, however, my parents
held on to their one and only dream of raising
me well so that I would manage to move
on to greener pastures in life. To fulfill this
dream, my parents would have to make a
lot of sacrifices, which they did. For obvious
reasons, their little savings would always fall
short of what was needed to raise me; yet, they
continued working hard and zealously and
spent every rupee they could to ensure my for me. My family believed strongly that my
smooth future. participation had actually flung open the door
to my success in life and urged me to make the
Grinding poverty and daily hardships were best use of this opportunity.
taking a toll on my family and me, and when
things seemed really bleak, there was a sudden The program extended the HOPE scholarship
turn around in my life. I became a part of to me for continuing my education, and in
Children International, and my family breathed 2010, I completed my university education. I
a sigh of relief. For my parents, it meant that received a job interview for retail sales, and
all their sacrifices would not go in vain. All this facing tough competition, I actually bagged
happened a decade ago. I was only 9 years the job.
old then.
I am in my second year now as an employed
Through the years, the program not only bore person and am a self-sufficient and
the major expenses toward my education economically independent person, just as my
but also ensured that I could avail of health parents had hoped. I am now studying for an
checkups and related medical treatments the MBA degree to further my career.
year round. Besides, there were other clothing
and family benefits. I shall always remain grateful to Children
International for extending all kinds of
The leadership trainings and other valuable support – educational, medical, economic
learning experiences I picked up while in the and moral – that instilled courage,
Youth Program also went hand in hand in determination and self-confidence in me
opening a new horizon full of opportunities and helped me achieve self-sufficiency.”
Page 22 www.children.org
23. We’d like to acknowledge the following individuals for providing photos for the 2011 Youth Report Card:
Kari Row, independent photographer
Joel Abelinde of our Manila, Philippines, agency
Patricia Calderón of our Barranquilla, Colombia, agency
Javier Cárcamo of our Guatemala City, Guatemala, agency
Pedro Díaz of our Quito, Ecuador, agency
Nivedita Moitra of our Kolkata, India, agency
Susannah Myers of our Little Rock, Arkansas, agency
Sarah Jane Velasco of our Tabaco, Philippines, agency
www.children.org Page 23